Oil-flame regulator for vulcanizers



(No Model.) Y

G. B. SNOW. GIL FLAME REGULATOR FR VULANIZERSL.

Patented Mar.. 17, 1896.

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mi uw man UNITED STATES Pnrnnfr rricn'.

(lrEORGE l. SNOV, OF BUFFALO, NEWv YRK.

OIL-FLAME REGULATOR FR VULCANIZERS.

SPECIFICATION forming' part of Letters Patent No. 556,702, dated March 1'7, 1896.

Application filed October 24, 1894. Serial No. 527,403. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Bc it known that I, GEORGE I3. SNOW', of the city ot' Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oil-Flame Regulators for Vulcanizers, of which the following is a specilication.

This invention relates to llame-regulating mechanism for vulcanizers using oil for fuel; and it consists in the novel combinations of parts, as hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of a vulcanizer provided with my improved ilame-regulatin g mechanism. Fig. 2 is an enlarged elevation of the regulator-head viewed at a right angle to the position in which it is represented in Fig. l. Fig. El is a vert-ical central section of the same on the line a l) of Fig. 2. Fig. ai is a plan of a diaphragm and superimposed reinforcing-plate inclosed inthe regulator head or casing. Fig. is a plan of the flame-controller arranged in the upper part or section of an oil-stove em-A ployed for heating the vulcanizer. Fig. G shows the naine-controller in end elevation and the surrounding casing in section on the line c CZ of Fig. 5.

A represents a vulcanizer supported by the jacket B upon the oil.stove O D. The regulator-head E is connected to the vulcanizer by the steam-pipe F. This head E consists of two sections i and 2, which may be either bolted or screwed together. Between them is tightly held a diaphragm 3, and the space beneath the diaphragm is lilled with steam through the pipe F. The step-piece 4; rests centrally upon the diaphragm. and controls its upward movement, preventing its being strained by accidental overpressure by striking the depending face 5 on part l. I do not regard this as an essential feature, but it assists in preventing any derangement of the mechanism by improper usage, and the office of the step-piece may be limited to its natural function, alfording a bearing-point for the step l0, which receives the pressure of the spring 9. Although any diaphragm may be used which possesses suflicient flexibility, I prefer to use one of thin copper, 3, entirely too weak to withstand the steam-pressure without support, and it has therefore superimposed upon it the reinforcing-plate G made of some elastic substance, as spring-brass, with radiating cuts 7 extending nearly to its et ge. An annular groove S is cut upon one side and near the edge to increase its ilexibility and confine it to this point. As the central part of the plate is stiff, its bending when under pressure will take place only at the groove, and the movement is referred directly to its cen ter, upon which the step-piece i rests, none of the movement being lost by bending of the plate between the groove S and its center, as would be the case if one of uniform thickness were employed.

Pressure uponthe diaphragm is made by the spring il, which is stilf enough to withstand the proper amount of steam-pressure and give right range of action to the diaphragm. The spring is compressed by means of the thimble l2, which is forced downward by the cap-uut ll. This is threaded upon section l of the casing, and for the purpose of turning it a series of holes 33 3a are made around its upper part, into which a pin may be conveniently introduced.

An outer screw-cap 13 is threaded upon the part l for the purpose of carrying the lever llc, and when the diaphragm 3 is bulged by steam-pressure its movements will raise the lever la, a vertically-sliding pin 1G being placed intermediate the said lever 14 and the step l0 and having a bearing on each.

Situated within section C of the oil-stove is a naine-controller, and an arm 17 attached thereto projects through a hole in the side of the stove. Suitable connection being made between the lever l-Jf and the .arm l?, the `[iame-controller will be operated whenever the steam-pressure is high enough to bulgeV the diaphragm against the resistance of the spring 9, and thus raise the lever li, and the flame of the stove will be reduced so that no further rise of pressure will ensue. For the purpose 'of making this connection I show a chain 22, which is attached to the arm 1T and passes upward to the hook lil. The shanl; of the hook is threaded, and it is held bythe nuts 2l on either side of the lever le, and it is adjustable in length by turning these nuts.

The section C of the oil-stove may be made in the form of an inverted cup iioored by a perforated tin diaphragm 36, having a ccn- IOO tral slot through which the wick-tube ll passes. The flame from the wick passes upward through the slot I. The flame-controller which I show is composed of a rock-shaft 23, mounted upon taper-pointed screws 24 25 as journals and having the arms 2G 27, carrying the flame-plates 28 29. These have free movement upon their points of attachment to the arms 26 27 and lean upon the sides of the wick-tube H, and when the shaft 2S is rocked by raising the arm 17 the plates slide upward over the wick, partially cutting off the air supply and diminishing` the flame. To prevent their displacement by fallingbackward, spurs 30 3l are suspended from the edges et the throat I.

A necessary condition for the satisfactory operation et this device is the accurate adjustment of the stove-wick to a certain invariable height. This may be done, by using sufficient care, without any special appliance; but as a small flame is more easily gaged than a .lzu'ge-one l show means for raising the lever 14 to what l call the point for minimum flame. The thumb-screw 37 is threaded into the projecting wing 87, under the lever 14, and bears against its lowei` side. Its length is such that if screwed upward te its full eX- tent it will raise the lever l-l a trifie farther than is suiiicient to reduce the flame to the point at which it will carry the vulcanizer at a steady temperature, the llame being then reduced so that it is barely visible through the peep-hole 3S in the jacket B, the wick being adj usted by turning the thumb-wheel 39 until this effect is produced, The lever 14 is lowered by turning back the screw 37n until a sufficiently-large flame is had for heating the .vulcanizen The apparatus constructed as above described may be adj usted as follows The spring i) being. strongly compressed by the cap-nut ll, the lamp is lighted, the wick adjusted to the points for minimum. flame, and the lever le lowered to allow a large frame for heating the vulcanizer, as above described. lVhen the required heat or pressure is obtained the nut 1l should be slackened until the steam is able to overcome the resistance of the spring 9 and bulge the `diaphragm 3 sufficiently to reduce the flame to the proper size to prevent any further increase of heat in the vulcanizer. Then if the pressure should lower the diaphragm would relax and by the lever le and arm 17 increase the llame. If it should increase, the coi'itrary action. would. ensue, and the temperature of the vulcanizers would thus be automatically controlled. Being thus adjusted the regulator will hold the temperature of the vulcanizer at the same point for the saine number of any subsequent vulcanizations; but if a change in this temperature is desired the regulator must be readjusted in the manner described.

To render the apparatus capable of instantaneous adjustment at any time, I provide it with an index.. ln the screw-cap 13 is a slot 2, which is of such length. and in such a position as to disclose two of the holes 33 34, which have been heretofore described as being made in the cap-nut 1l. The slot 35 discloses the figures or numbers, which are suitably disposed around the lower part of the capnut 1l, and which, as they appear, denote either the temperature or pressure of the steam in the vulcanizer, as may be preferred. Vhen the iigures show pounds-pressure the holes 33 34 may be spaced and the slot 32 be made of such a length that a movement to thc extent of one hole will vary the adjustment ten pounds and bring up the figures in the slot Bwhich denote the change. It is new possible to adjust the regulator at any time` even before the vjulcanizing has commenced, and its temperature or pressure will be accurately held Without any supervision.

What I claim as my invention isl. In name-regulating apparatus for vulcanizers, the combination of a casing having a flexible diaphragm therein, a pipe for conveying steam-pressure from the vulcanizer to the under side of said diaphragm, a lever mounted above the diaphragm-easing, a pin adapted to slide vertically intermediate said lever and diaphragm and having its lower portion surrounded by a spiral spring, a stepbearing for said pin and spring, a thimble placed above the spring, a nut for regulating the. pressure of the spring, a flame-controller. and means for connecting the said lever and name-controller, substantially as described.

2. In llame-regulating apparatus for vulcanizers, the combination with a vflame-controller, a lever, and a connection between said lever and flame controller, of a casing containing a flexible diaphragm adapted to be acted upon by steam-pressure from the vulcanizer, a step-bearing resting centrally on said diaphragm, a vertically-sliding pin interm ediate the said stepbearing and the said lever, a spiral spring surrounding the lower portion of said pin, a thimble bearing on sai-,l spring, a nut mounted on the diaphragm-casing and having a bearing on said thimble to regulate the spring, and a screw-cap also mounted on the diaphragm-casing and by which the leveris supported, substantially as described. v

3. In a flame-regulating apparatus for vulcanizers, the combination of a flame-controller, a casin ghaving a liexible diaphragm therein, a reinforcing-plate on said diaphragm, a lever mounted above the diaphragm-casing` a thumb-screw for adjusting said lever, a vertically-sliding pin between the said lever and diaphragm, a pipe for conveying steam-pressure from the vulcanizerto the under side oi' the diaphragm, and an adjustable connection between the lever and llame-controller, substantially as described.

GEORGE B. SNOlV.

lVitnesses: I

CHARLES E. CLARK, L. F. MEssnR.

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